In a post to its blog today, Sony gave a brief look at a new device to be announced this Sunday, the 15th of September.

What the company calls the BRAVIA Smart Stick looks like a waffle or small wafer cookie, and "plugs into the MHL connection on the back of 2013 Sony BRAVIA televisions, with another short cable plugged into the USB port for power." Right now it's unclear if the device will be compatible with other TV models.

The device sounds kind of like a Chromecast and, in so far as it's a dongle, looks sort of like a Chromecast, and indeed the device could end up packing the Chromecast protocol allowing users to stream content from compatible apps, but Sony makes a point to clarify that it's more like a Google TV device with BRAVIA apps pre-installed, excluding any potential Chromecast-related functionality.

So, it’s Google TV, right?

Not so fast!

The BRAVIA Smart Stick’s user interface seamlessly integrates Google TV and Sony’s own BRAVIA apps, allowing viewers to stay in a single menu to launch any of their apps, including BRAVIA apps like the Internet Video Library.

Besides making your BRAVIA television "PhD-level smart," the Smart Stick will come pre-loaded with the usual media apps including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora, YouTube, and Amazon Instant Video among others. It will also have a "Picture-and-Picture feature" for browsing the web and watching TV simultaneously.

The Stick will also come with a universal remote that will pack a keyboard and a microphone.

Sony doesn't divulge much more information in the blog post, but those curious can check it out at the link below. We'll be anxiously waiting for the 15th to see just what else this thing can do.

Very true... There is a JB update for GTV, but don't know what devices will get it... That update should help with one of it's biggest issues, "Developer Support"... I've had the Sony Blu-ray GTV since it was in beta... Still use it every day, but I would have like Google to show the platform some more love... A Nexus GoogleTV would have been nice...

Pieter-Jan Voskamp

So you don't need to get a SMART tv and just stick this in a normal Sony tv?

Chris

I'll consider another Sony product once my GoogleTV box is updated to the latest GoogleTV platform. Currently stuck on 3.2. Mind you, my device is just about a year and a half old.

Sony just released a massive 330mb update that included several fixes, one which patched the exploit to gain root. The update seems to address the YouTube error solely.

MrNinjaPanda

I don't see a point in this. You get a 2013 Sony TV which already has BRAVIA apps installed, and then you buy a dongle with the same BRAVIA apps?

Stephen Smithett

Isn't the major selllling point of MHL that it has power built in i.e from the device connector ?